H O W T O S T A R T A V I R T U A L P R A C T I C E GOING VIRTUAL By ICANotes E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U N E E D T O S E T U P A V I R T U A L B E H A V I O R A L H E A L T H P R A C T I C E . table of CONTENTS Why start a virtual practice? 01 Does telehealth work? 06 10 things to consider before starting a virtual practice. 07 Is starting a virtual practice right for me? 13 Must have virtual practice features. 14 Insurance and telehealth. 15 Other considerations. 21 Marketing your virtual practice. 26 Why start a virtual practice? 10 Benefits to Starting a Virtual Practice Telehealth offers many advantages for behavioral health clinicians. Some providers enjoy the perks of virtual sessions so much that they’ve moved their practices entirely online. Here are the top 10 reasons why more and more clinicians are taking this route. 1. No commuting hassle Long commutes increase stress levels and impact overall well-being. According to a study from 2019, an absence of commuting leads to greater job satisfaction, more leisure time, and an overall increase in subjective well-being. If you provide telehealth services, you can work from home if you wish and avoid commuting altogether. You will no longer have to put yourself at risk of driving- related hazards or deal with traffic jams to get to work. You’ll also save a lot of time. With the average one-way commute time being about 30 minutes, you’ll have an extra hour every day to do something other than drive. 2. Fewer cancelletions Since you won’t have to deal with the hassle of traveling to your office, you won’t have to cancel appointments due to poor weather, a dead car battery, or other related issues. Also, if you feel under the weather, you can still keep your telehealth appointments, since you will not have to physically go anywhere or worry about spreading germs. You can expect fewer cancellations from your clients as well. One of the top reasons clients stop going to therapy is transportation issues. Clients do not have to worry about catching a bus or putting gas in their car if they can meet with you virtually. Overall, telehealth removes many barriers that would have previously led to cancellations. 1. 3. Streamlined communication When you use a software platform to schedule a telehealth appointment, it will send automated appointment reminders to your client. Your client can then manage their appointment electronically. There will be no need for them to call your office and speak to a receptionist if they need to cancel or reschedule their appointment, which reduces the risk of miscommunication. If you or your client can’t remember what time you set the appointment for, you only have to look online to find out. 4. Increased safety When behavioral health providers accept a new client, they can’t predict how the person will respond to anger or another negative emotion. Telehealth allows clinicians to get to know new patients at a safe distance. Telehealth can also help providers safely connect with clients who have a known history of violence. Using telehealth to treat violent patients is nothing new. For example, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts, the criminal justice system has used telehealth to serve inmates since the 1980s. Being able to treat clients who may have made you feel uncomfortable in the past can relieve work-related stress and expand your practice at the same time. If you’ve ever felt concerned about patients finding out where you live, working remotely will give you greater anonymity. You might be hundreds of miles away from the clients you serve, which means you don’t have to worry about bumping into them in public places, either. Lastly, telehealth makes some clients feel safer as well. These people may be more comfortable opening up, which will help you do your job. Clients who experience social anxiety or who are new to treatment, in particular, might feel much more relaxed attending sessions from their homes. 5. More clients Telehealth allows providers to connect with patients who otherwise wouldn’t have access to their services. These include people who live in rural areas or hours away from the nearest clinician. Telehealth can make a significant impact in rural communities, since over 60% of Americans live in areas with a shortage of behavioral health professionals, and more than 90% of clinicians work in metropolitan areas. You’ll also be able to provide services to those with mobility issues or chronic illnesses that make it hard to leave the house. These clients may need mental health services, but find their physical conditions get in their way. For example, people with chronic illnesses such as cancer or heart disease commonly experience depression. Through telehealth, you can reach these patients without making it more challenging for them. 2. Overall, you’ll be able to reach anyone within your state who needs mental health services, but is unable, or unwilling, to travel to a physical location. These may also include: People with anxiety or who fear running into someone they know Incarcerated clients Military members Hospitalized patients 6. Flexible scheduling With telehealth, you do not have to adhere to traditional office hours. You can offer your services whenever and wherever you want, and at times that are most convenient for you and your clients. For example, maybe a client is only available at 8 p.m. While you may not feel like going back to the office at that time, you can easily connect with them at home. You also can schedule personal tasks throughout the day because you will be in the privacy of your home. For example, between appointments, you might pay bills or hop on the treadmill and get a quick workout. You’ll notice a better work-life balance when you work at home. If you were sharing an office space with other clinicians, you would no longer have to worry about working around their schedules. You can see clients based on their time preferences, not when your office is available. 7. More free time Without having to spend an hour a day driving to and from work, you’ll have more time to accomplish other goals. Maybe you would like to learn more about a new treatment, teach an online course or add posts to your blog. Perhaps you would like to take power naps throughout the day to recharge your brain. Whatever you wish to achieve, you’ll have more time to do it when you work remotely. That, in turn, will help you grow as a professional and potentially attract more clients. 8. Fewer overhead costs Clinicians in private practice who choose to work from home can expect substantially lower overhead costs, especially those who can switch to telehealth full-time. With the money you’ll save on rent, utilities, furniture and other related expenses, you can invest more in your practice and professional development. You will never have to worry about finding a new or better location for your business, and can instead focus on making your home office work for you and your clients. You might also choose to rent office space a few days a week to serve clients who prefer in-office sessions and save yourself from paying rent for a full month. 3. 9. Greater workspace comfort Teletherapy gives you complete control of your work environment. You can design a space that promotes productivity, reduces stress, and enhances your comfort levels. For example, you don’t have to worry about impacting co-workers with your preference to leave the window open or your decision to paint the walls green. You can also feel better about the dietary choices you make throughout the day. If you want to eat a snack between appointments, you no longer have to head to a vending machine and grab a bag of chips. All you need to do is walk to your kitchen and prepare a healthy treat. In general, working at home gives you easy access to many comforts, whether it be over-the-counter medicine to soothe a headache or a cup of tea to help you relax. Your clients will enjoy greater comfort, too, and won’t have to worry about showing up to appointments parched or hungry. They’ll have access to their home amenities as well, so there’s less chance of them needing to wait to use the bathroom during or before an appointment. 10. Improved health When you work around others, be it your co-workers or clients, you increase your exposure to germs and your risk of illness. A single ill colleague can get everyone else in the office sick, merely by touching surfaces or sneezing. In small and poorly ventilated offices, the chance of becoming infected by someone else’s germs increases sharply. For example, if someone with COVID-19 comes into the office, the chance of them spreading the coronavirus to others is 18 times greater in a closed environment than an open one, according to recent findings. With teletherapy, you eliminate your risk of catching dangerous viruses and other germs from co-workers and clients. You likely can’t control the air quality in a shared office space, either. Poor indoor air can lead to a range of health effects such as eye and throat irritation, headaches, or worsening asthma symptoms.